Quincy and Buck by Camille Matthews Ages: 5-7 “Quincy dreamed of trail riding. He wanted to feel the wind blowing in his mane and the sun warming his back….but riding in the desert is very different from riding in a corral. Anything could happen. When Quincy thought about this, he was too scared to go

Uh oh. Anger. This is such a difficult feeling for adults and kids alike. It can be powerful, uncomfortable, confusing, and frightening, especially for kids who have experienced trauma. It’s also a completely natural, normal feeling, and can even be helpful when managed in a healthy way. It provides energy and focus, which can allow

Imagine a little pond set back in the redwoods and pines of northern California. Walking amongst these giants, imagine looking up along their trunks. And hearing the wind moving through the forest. Smelling the scent of pine in the air or the soft, earthy humus under your feet. Feeling connected, in some indefinable way, to

I was walking along Town Lake the other day (a popular hike and bike trail along the Colorado River in Austin) when I came upon a family staring intently down into the water. A mom, dad, and their teenage daughter were completely captivated. I didn’t want to intrude, but my curiosity got the better of

This Friday is National Attachment Trauma Awareness Day, which was created with the hope of helping families heal by shining a light on early attachment trauma. This blog post was written in honor of NATA Day. Adoption is full of confusing, poignant, and ambiguous truths. Even under the best of circumstances, adoption comes with a

Every day, across the country, people sit inside therapists’ offices working hard to find relief from suffering of all kinds: abuses from childhood which won’t let go; losses and grief; vague, yet deeply painful, sadness, anger, loneliness. From within those walls, therapists work equally hard to understand the nature of their clients’ suffering and discern

Anyone who is regularly exposed to trauma and suffering is at risk of developing secondary trauma. First responders, humanitarian workers, and ministers are but a few examples of people who regularly bear witness to suffering and trauma and who are, thus, at risk. First Things First: What exactly is trauma? Anything that overwhelms a person’s

On a recent hike in mountain lion country, I came across a sign which informed me, among other things, that I should not show fear if approached by a mountain lion. Seriously? Who could think so logically, I thought, when faced with such a threat? I started to think more about this sign and about mountain

Like a mad scientist, I researched, downloaded, and experimented. Then I tinkered and tested. Finally, I came up with this list of really great apps. Each app offers something slightly different, and, all together, they run the gamut from dealing with traumatic stress, daily life stress, PTSD, parenting stress, and burnout and compassion fatigue. They’re

We can’t escape it. We can’t outrun it. Some people turn to Ben & Jerry for help. Others zone out to Law & Order. For many, tablets, smartphones, and laptops bring needed relief. Stress. Fatigue. Life is full of it – financial strains, work pressures, raising children, relationships, and health problems, to name a few. If you